Philips joins AMREF for Africa health

Monday, February 10, 2014

In a statement availed to East African Business Week , it said the long-term strategic partnership aims to support AMREF in achieving its social goals and will help Philips in its ambition to improve the lives of people in Africa, while at the same time realizing growth across the fast-evolving African healthcare market.

“This partnership comes at a time when most countries in Africa continue to contend with existing and emerging healthcare challenges: a high incidence of infant and maternal mortality (from largely preventable causes), a sharp increase in the number of people suffering from non-communicable diseases (cancer, diabetes and heart disease); inadequately equipped medical facilities; and inadequately trained clinical staff. For example, a woman in sub-Saharan Africa is a hundred times more likely to die of a preventable complication related to pregnancy or childbirth than a woman in Western countries,” it stated.

The report said further that in order to compliment local government efforts in tackling the problems, AMREF and Philips will connect their networks and bring to market new education and training programs designed specifically for healthcare professionals in Africa.